Railway-car-sign illuminator.



No. 666,638. Pa tent ed m. 8, IBM.

F. 6. L. uzumznson. RAILWAY-CAR SIGN ILLUMINATUB.

(Applicagion filed Oct. 16, 1900. (No Model.)

ITH )kwa p UNITED STATES PAT NT FRANCIS G. L. HENDERSON, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAlLWAY-CAR-SIGN ILLUMINATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 665,638, dated January 8, 1901.

Application filed October 16, 1900. Serial No. 33,223. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS G. L. HENDER- sON, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in Railway-Oar-Sign Illuminators, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains or with which it is most nearly connected to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway-car signs and means for illuminating the same; and the principal object is to provide a thoroughly practical construction for effectively illuminating signs such as commonly erected upon the roofs of railway-cars to indicate their routes and destinations, the invention providing for the same signs serving at night as well as by day.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form of embodiment whereofis illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically described hereinafter, the essential elements of the invention being recited in the appended claims.

Of the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents in perspective the end portion of a vestibuled street-railway car equipped with a sign structure embodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents the sign structure in side elevation, on a larger scale, together with a portion of the car roof. Fig. 3 represents the sign structure in front elevation on the same scale. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectionalized front elevation on a still larger scale, and Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

On that portion of the roof of the car which is commonly termed the bonnet two standards a are erected, the same having feet a, curved to conform with the surface of the bonnet, so as to be firmly affixed thereto. A sign I), of the well-known quadrilateral form, extends between the upper ends of these standards and is rotatively supported therethe inner ends of said arms it, said sockets receiving incandescent lampsj of such candle-power as conditions may require. The arms h are a little above the plane of the top of the sign and the lamps so positioned as to shed light most eifectively upon the front face of the sign. Cup-shaped castings or heads m are adjustably mounted upon the arms h adjacent to the unions g, each of said castings having a boss m, which embraces the arm h, and a set-screw m by which the casting or head is fastened to the arm at any desired adjustment. A reflector or shade n, having the form of an inverted trough, is supported by said castings or head m, said reflector or shade extending from one head to the other and being riveted or bolted to rabbeted portions thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. Wires 0, which conduct the electric current to the lamps, are preferably introduced through open rear portions of the four-way couplings c and are carried through the hollow arms (1, elbows f, uprights c, T-couplings g, and arms h. It will be seen that the reflector occupies a position in front of and above the sign and that it can be adjusted over the lamps so that the rays of light can be thrown upon the front face of the sign with excellent effect.

The simplicity and practicability of the structure will be at once apparent, and it will be seen that it is such a one as can be easily rigged on a car in any railway-shop. The illuminating structure does not in any way interfere with the ordinary manipulation of the sign by use of a stick or pole, nor does it offer any obstruction to the manipulation of the trolley, the rope of the same lying smoothly over the curved exterior surface of the reflector. The structure is attractive in appearance and thoroughly fulfils the object primarily stated. It is to be understood, however, that it is capable of modification without departure-from the spirit and scope of the invention, which may be embodied in many difierent forms.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is as follows:

1. The combination, with a railway-car sign, of a pair of standards erected on the car-roof at opposite ends of the sign and having at their upper ends horizontal arms which extend toward each other outside of the sign; lighting devices on the inner ends of said arms; and a reflector mounted upon the latter between the upright portions of the standards and the lighting devices and extending above the latter.

2. The combination with a railway car sign, of a pair of standards erected on the car-roof at opposite ends of the sign and having horizontal arms at their upper ends extending toward each other outside of the sign; lighting devices on the inner ends of said arms; and a reflector adjustably mounted upon said arms and extending from one to the other above the said lighting devices.

3. The combination with a railway -car sign, of a pair of standards erected on the car-roof at opposite ends of the sign and having horizontal arms at their upper ends extending toward each other outside of the sign; lighting devices on the inner ends of said arms; heads rotatably adjustable on said arms; and a reflector supported by said heads and extending fromone to the other above the said lighting devices.

4. The combination with a railway car sign, of a pair of standards erected upon the car-roof at opposite ends of the sign and having horizontal arms at their upper ends extending toward each other outside of the sign; lighting devices on the inner ends of said arms; cup-shaped heads having bosses embracing said arms respectively and set-screws for fastening the heads at different positions; and a trough-shaped reflector supported by said heads and extending from one to the other above the said lighting devices.

5. A railway-car sign and sign-illuminator comprising standards erected on the roof of the car; a rotary sign extending between said standards and supported thereby; arms extending forward from said standards at intermediate points thereof; uprights at the front ends of said arms; horizontal arms extending from the upper ends of said uprights toward each other; lighting devices on the inner ends of said horizontal arms; and a reflector mounted upon the latter and extending above said lighting devices.

6. A railway-car sign and sign-illuminator comprising standards erected on the roof of the car; a rotary sign extending between said standards and supported thereby; hollow arms extending forward from said standards at intermediate points thereof; hollow uprights at the outer ends of said arms; hollow armsextending toward each other from the upper ends of said uprights; electric lamps on the inner ends of said last-named arms; cond uctor-wires entering the rear ends of the first-named arms and extending through the same, the hollow uprights and thelamp-supporting arms; and a reflector mounted upon the latter and extending over the lamp.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of October, A. D. 1900.

FRANCIS G. L. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. KENNY, EDWARD BLAKELEY DAVIS. 

